The Use of Prosthetic Stents in Tracheobronchial, Gastrointestinal, and Genitourinary Diseases

The concept of using a stent to maintain patency of a lumen is not new. As early as 1969, stents were being investigated in the peripheral arterial system as a means of preventing restenosis after dilatation by balloon angioplasty (Dotter, 1969). Since then, numerous reports have demonstrated the use of stents in both the peripheral and coronary artery systems (Maass et al., 1982; Dotter et al., 1983; Wright et al., 1985; Palmaz et al., 1987). Concomitant with the investigation of expandable endovascular metal prosthesis has been the development of prosthetic devices for management of tracheobronchial, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary diseases. We will review the use of endoscopically placed prosthetic devices in the management of diseases affecting these systems

Infrared Properties of High Redshift and X-ray Selected AGN Samples

The NASA/ISO Key Project on active galactic nuclei (AGN) seeks to better understand the broad-band spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of these sources from radio to X-rays, with particular emphasis on infrared properties. The ISO sample includes a wide variety of AGN types and spans a large redshift range. Two subsamples are considered herein: 8 high-redshift (1 < z < 4.7) quasars; and 22 hard X-ray selected sources. The X-ray selected AGN show a wide range of IR continuum shapes, extending to cooler colors than the optical/radio sample of Elvis et al. (1994). Where a far-IR turnover is clearly observed, the slopes are < 2.5 in all but one case so that non-thermal emission remains a possibility. The highest redshift quasars show extremely strong, hot IR continua requiring ~ 100 solar masses of 500 - 1000 Kelvin dust with ~ 100 times weaker optical emission. Possible explanations for these unusual properties include: reflection of the optical light from material above/below a torus; strong obscuration of the optical continuum; or an intrinsic deficit of optical emission.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures (2 color), to be published in the Springer Lecture Notes of Physics Series as part of the proceedings for "ISO Surveys of a Dusty Universe," a workshop held at Ringberg Castle, Germany, November 8 - 12, 1999. Requires latex style files for this series: cl2emult.cls, cropmark.sty, lnp.sty, sprmindx.sty, subeqnar.sty (included with submission

Gonorrhoea: tackling the global epidemic in the era of rising antimicrobial resistance.

This Special Issue of Sexual Health aims to collate the latest evidence base focussed on understanding the current epidemic and transmission of gonorrhoea, choice of treatment, molecular epidemiology application, concerns about antimicrobial resistance and alternative prevention and control for gonorrhoea

Food Parenting Measurement Issues: Working Group Consensus Report

Childhood obesity is a growing problem. As more researchers become involved in the study of parenting influences on childhood obesity, there appears to be a lack of agreement regarding the most important parenting constructs of interest, definitions of those constructs, and measurement of those constructs in a consistent manner across studies. This article aims to summarize findings from a working group that convened specifically to discuss measurement issues related to parental influences on childhood obesity. Six subgroups were formed to address key measurement issues. The conceptualization subgroup proposed to define and distinguish constructs of general parenting styles, feeding styles, and food parenting practices with the goal of understanding interrelating levels of parental influence on child eating behaviors. The observational subgroup identified the need to map constructs for use in coding direct observations and create observational measures that can capture the bidirectional effects of parent?child interactions. The self-regulation subgroup proposed an operational definition of child self-regulation of energy intake and suggested future measures of self-regulation across different stages of development. The translational/community involvement subgroup proposed the involvement of community in the development of surveys so that measures adequately reflect cultural understanding and practices of the community. The qualitative methods subgroup proposed qualitative methods as a way to better understand the breadth of food parenting practices and motivations for the use of such practices. The longitudinal subgroup stressed the importance of food parenting measures sensitive to change for use in longitudinal studies. In the creation of new measures, it is important to consider cultural sensitivity and context-specific food parenting domains. Moderating variables such as child temperament and child food preferences should be considered in models.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140331/1/chi.2013.0032.pd

A new discrete wavelength backscattered ultraviolet algorithm for consistent volcanic SO2 retrievals from multiple satellite missions

This paper describes a new discrete wavelength algorithm developed for retrieving volcanic sulfur dioxide (SO2) vertical column density (VCD) from UV observing satellites. The Multi-Satellite SO2 algorithm (MS_SO2) simultaneously retrieves column densities of sulfur dioxide, ozone, and Lambertian effective reflectivity (LER) and its spectral dependence. It is used operationally to process measurements from the heritage Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) onboard NASA\u27s Nimbus-7 satellite (N7/TOMS: 1978–1993) and from the current Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) onboard Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR: 2015–ongoing) from the Earth–Sun Lagrange (L1) orbit. Results from MS_SO2 algorithm for several volcanic cases were assessed using the more sensitive principal component analysis (PCA) algorithm. The PCA is an operational algorithm used by NASA to retrieve SO2 from hyperspectral UV spectrometers, such as the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) onboard NASA\u27s Earth Observing System Aura satellite and Ozone Mapping and Profiling Suite (OMPS) onboard NASA–NOAA Suomi National Polar Partnership (SNPP) satellite. For this comparative study, the PCA algorithm was modified to use the discrete wavelengths of the Nimbus-7/TOMS instrument, described in Sect. S1 of the Supplement. Our results demonstrate good agreement between the two retrievals for the largest volcanic eruptions of the satellite era, such as the 1991 Pinatubo eruption. To estimate SO2 retrieval systematic uncertainties, we use radiative transfer simulations explicitly accounting for volcanic sulfate and ash aerosols. Our results suggest that the discrete-wavelength MS_SO2 algorithm, although less sensitive than hyperspectral PCA algorithm, can be adapted to retrieve volcanic SO2 VCDs from contemporary hyperspectral UV instruments, such as OMI and OMPS, to create consistent, multi-satellite, long-term volcanic SO2 climate data records

Chandra Observations of Type Ia Supernovae: Upper Limits to the X-ray Flux of SN 2002bo, SN 2002ic, SN 2005gj, and SN 2005ke

We set sensitive upper limits to the X-ray emission of four Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) using the Chandra X-ray Observatory. SN 2002bo, a normal, although reddened, nearby SN Ia, was observed 9.3 days after explosion. For an absorbed, high temperature bremsstrahlung model the flux limits are 3.2E-16 ergs/cm^2/s (0.5-2 keV band) and 4.1E-15 ergs/cm^2/s (2-10 keV band). Using conservative model assumptions and a 10 km/s wind speed, we derive a mass loss rate of \dot{M} ~ 2E-5 M_\odot/yr, which is comparable to limits set by the non-detection of Halpha lines from other SNe Ia. Two other objects, SN 2002ic and SN 2005gj, observed 260 and 80 days after explosion, respectively, are the only SNe Ia showing evidence for circumstellar interaction. The SN 2002ic X-ray flux upper limits are ~4 times below predictions of the interaction model currently favored to explain the bright optical emission. To resolve this discrepancy we invoke the mixing of cool dense ejecta fragments into the forward shock region, which produces increased X-ray absorption. A modest amount of mixing allows us to accommodate the Chandra upper limit. SN 2005gj is less well studied at this time. Assuming the same circumstellar environment as for SN 2002i, the X-ray flux upper limits for SN 2005gj are ~4 times below the predictions, suggesting that mixing of cool ejecta into the forward shock has also occurred here. Our reanalysis of Swift and Chandra data on SN 2005ke does not confirm a previously reported X-ray detection. The host galaxies NGC 3190 (SN 2002bo) and NGC 1371 (SN 2005ke) each harbor a low luminosity (L_X ~ 3-4E40 ergs/s) active nucleus in addition to wide-spread diffuse soft X-ray emission.Comment: 16 pages, to appear in ApJ (20 Nov 2007

Breast milk nutrient content and infancy growth.

AIM: Benefits of human breast milk (HM) in avoiding rapid infancy weight gain and later obesity could relate to its nutrient content. We tested the hypothesis that differential HM total calorie content (TCC) or macronutrient contents may be associated with infancy growth. METHODS: HM hindmilk samples were collected at ages 4-8 weeks from 614 mothers participating in a representative birth cohort, with repeated infancy anthropometry. HM triglyceride (fat), lipid analytes and lactose (carbohydrate) were measured by (1) H-NMR, and protein content by the Dumas method. TCC and %macronutrients were determined. RESULTS: In 614 HM samples, fat content was as follows: [median(IQR)]: 2.6 (1.7-3.6) g/100 mL, carbohydrate: 8.6 (8.2-8.8) g/100 mL, protein: 1.2 (1.1-1.2) g/100 mL; TCC: 61.8 (53.7-71.3) kcal/100 mL. HM of mothers exclusively breast feeding vs. mixed feeding was more calorific with higher %fat, lower %carbohydrate and lower %protein. Higher HM TCC was associated with lower 12-months body mass index (BMI)/adiposity, and lower 3-12 months gains in weight/BMI. HM %fat was inversely related to 3-12 months gains in weight, BMI and adiposity, whereas %carbohydrate was positively related to these measures. HM %protein was positively related to 12-months BMI. CONCLUSION: HM analysis showed wide variation in %macronutrients. Although data on milk intakes were unavailable, our findings suggest functional relevance of HM milk composition to infant growth.PP was supported by a MRC Clinical Training Fellowship (G1001995). The Cambridge Baby Growth Study has been supported by the European Union, the World Cancer Research Foundation International, the Medical Research Council, the NIHR Cambridge Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre, the Newlife Foundation for disabled children, the Mothercare Group Foundation, and Mead Johnson Nutrition.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Wiley via https://doi.org/ 10.1111/apa.1336

General Protein Diffusion Barriers Create Compartments within Bacterial Cells

In eukaryotes, the differentiation of cellular extensions such as cilia or neuronal axons depends on the partitioning of proteins to distinct plasma membrane domains by specialized diffusion barriers. However, examples of this compartmentalization strategy are still missing for prokaryotes, although complex cellular architectures are also widespread among this group of organisms. This study reveals the existence of a protein-mediated membrane diffusion barrier in the stalked bacterium Caulobacter crescentus. We show that the Caulobacter cell envelope is compartmentalized by macromolecular complexes that prevent the exchange of both membrane and soluble proteins between the polar stalk extension and the cell body. The barrier structures span the cross-sectional area of the stalk and comprise at least four proteins that assemble in a cell-cycle-dependent manner. Their presence is critical for cellular fitness because they minimize the effective cell volume, allowing faster adaptation to environmental changes that require de novo synthesis of envelope proteins